Education plays a powerful role in shaping a child’s future, but the experience of going to school can look very different depending on where that child lives. In Haiti and the United States, students may sit in classrooms and open textbooks, yet the systems around them are shaped by very different realities.
AGE IN THE CLASSROOM:
One noticeable difference is age in the classroom. In Haiti, it’s common for students of different ages to sit in the same grade due to repeating years or interruptions in schooling.
Poverty can cause students to miss entire years of schooling when tuition costs are out of reach. Children in large families are often forced to take turns attending school. Struggles with learning, illness, school closures due to insecurity or other family challenges can also impact a student’s ability to move up to the next grade level.
NATIONAL EXAMS:
Another difference in education shows up when it comes to testing. In Haiti, students must pass a major national exam at the end of 9th grade before entering high school. Students who pass this exam can enroll in high school and will graduate after completing grade 13.
Students in Haiti also take a national exam after grade 13 which is required for entrance into college and some vocational programs. This exam is very challenging and less than 30% of students who take this exam pass on the first try.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT:
In the United States, elementary school enrollment is nearly universal and finishing high school is an expected milestone for most families.
In Haiti, the picture looks very different, especially as students get older. While many children start primary school, attendance drops sharply at each level. Roughly 40% of students drop out before completing Grade 9. A much smaller percentage of students reach secondary school, and less than 5% actually graduate high school.
Sponsorship helps change these statistics for children living in the poorest families in our area of Haiti. A big thanks to our amazing sponsors for changing lives!
Learn more about helping a child at: worldwidevillage.org/student-sponsorship